Operation of an aerial drone inside an exclusion zone

ABSTRACT

A method, system, and/or computer program product controls operations of an aerial drone within a predetermined airspace. A drone controller device detects a presence of an aerial drone. The drone controller device and the aerial drone negotiate permission to fly within a predetermined airspace under a predefined aerial drone state. In response to successfully negotiating the permission, the drone controller device enables a drone on-board computer to operate the aerial drone within the predetermined airspace in accordance with the predefined aerial drone state.

BACKGROUND

The present disclosure relates to the field of aerial drones. Morespecifically, the present disclosure relates to adjusting operations ofan aerial drone while inside an exclusion zone, such as a restrictedairspace.

An aerial drone is an unmanned aircraft, also known as an unmannedaerial vehicle (UAV). That is, an aerial drone is an airborne vehiclethat is capable of being piloted without an on-board human pilot. Ifautonomously controlled using an on-board computer and pre-programmedinstructions, a UAV is called an autonomous drone. If remotely pilotedby a human pilot, the UAV is called a remotely piloted aircraft (RPA).

SUMMARY

A method, system, and/or computer program product controls operations ofan aerial drone within a predetermined airspace. A drone controllerdevice detects a presence of an aerial drone. The drone controllerdevice and the aerial drone negotiate permission to fly within apredetermined airspace under a predefined aerial drone state. Inresponse to successfully negotiating the permission, the dronecontroller device enables a drone on-board computer to operate theaerial drone within the predetermined airspace in accordance within thepredefined aerial drone state.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 depicts an exemplary system and network in which the presentdisclosure may be implemented;

FIG. 2 depicts additional detail of an exemplary aerial drone inaccordance with one or more embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 3 illustrates control hardware and other hardware features of anexemplary aerial drone in accordance with one or more embodiments of thepresent invention;

FIG. 4 depicts an aerial drone being utilized in accordance with one ormore embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a high-level flow chart of one or more steps performed by oneor more computing and/or other hardware devices to control movement ofan aerial drone within a predetermined airspace in accordance with oneor more embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 6 depicts a cloud computing environment according to an embodimentof the present invention; and

FIG. 7 depicts abstraction model layers of a cloud computer environmentaccording to an embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present invention may be a system, a method, and/or a computerprogram product. The computer program product may include a computerreadable storage medium (or media) having computer readable programinstructions thereon for causing a processor to carry out aspects of thepresent invention.

The computer readable storage medium can be a tangible device that canretain and store instructions for use by an instruction executiondevice. The computer readable storage medium may be, for example, but isnot limited to, an electronic storage device, a magnetic storage device,an optical storage device, an electromagnetic storage device, asemiconductor storage device, or any suitable combination of theforegoing. A non-exhaustive list of more specific examples of thecomputer readable storage medium includes the following: a portablecomputer diskette, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM), aread-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROMor Flash memory), a static random access memory (SRAM), a portablecompact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), a digital versatile disk (DVD),a memory stick, a floppy disk, a mechanically encoded device such aspunch-cards or raised structures in a groove having instructionsrecorded thereon, and any suitable combination of the foregoing. Acomputer readable storage medium, as used herein, is not to be construedas being transitory signals per se, such as radio waves or other freelypropagating electromagnetic waves, electromagnetic waves propagatingthrough a waveguide or other transmission media (e.g., light pulsespassing through a fiber-optic cable), or electrical signals transmittedthrough a wire.

Computer readable program instructions described herein can bedownloaded to respective computing/processing devices from a computerreadable storage medium or to an external computer or external storagedevice via a network, for example, the Internet, a local area network, awide area network and/or a wireless network. The network may comprisecopper transmission cables, optical transmission fibers, wirelesstransmission, routers, firewalls, switches, gateway computers and/oredge servers. A network adapter card or network interface in eachcomputing/processing device receives computer readable programinstructions from the network and forwards the computer readable programinstructions for storage in a computer readable storage medium withinthe respective computing/processing device.

Computer readable program instructions for carrying out operations ofthe present invention may be assembler instructions,instruction-set-architecture (ISA) instructions, machine instructions,machine dependent instructions, microcode, firmware instructions,state-setting data, or either source code or object code written in anycombination of one or more programming languages, including an objectoriented programming language such as Java, Smalltalk, C++ or the like,and conventional procedural programming languages, such as the “C”programming language or similar programming languages. The computerreadable program instructions may execute entirely on the user'scomputer, partly on the user's computer, as a stand-alone softwarepackage, partly on the user's computer and partly on a remote computeror entirely on the remote computer or server. In the latter scenario,the remote computer may be connected to the user's computer through anytype of network, including a local area network (LAN) or a wide areanetwork (WAN), or the connection may be made to an external computer(for example, through the Internet using an Internet Service Provider).In some embodiments, electronic circuitry including, for example,programmable logic circuitry, field-programmable gate arrays (FPGA), orprogrammable logic arrays (PLA) may execute the computer readableprogram instructions by utilizing state information of the computerreadable program instructions to personalize the electronic circuitry,in order to perform aspects of the present invention.

Aspects of the present invention are described herein with reference toflowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams of methods, apparatus(systems), and computer program products according to embodiments of theinvention. It will be understood that each block of the flowchartillustrations and/or block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in theflowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams, can be implemented bycomputer readable program instructions.

These computer readable program instructions may be provided to aprocessor of a general purpose computer, special purpose computer, orother programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine, suchthat the instructions, which execute via the processor of the computeror other programmable data processing apparatus, create means forimplementing the functions/acts specified in the flowchart and/or blockdiagram block or blocks. These computer readable program instructionsmay also be stored in a computer readable storage medium that can directa computer, a programmable data processing apparatus, and/or otherdevices to function in a particular manner, such that the computerreadable storage medium having instructions stored therein comprises anarticle of manufacture including instructions which implement aspects ofthe function/act specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram blockor blocks.

The computer readable program instructions may also be loaded onto acomputer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other deviceto cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer,other programmable apparatus or other device to produce a computerimplemented process, such that the instructions which execute on thecomputer, other programmable apparatus, or other device implement thefunctions/acts specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram block orblocks.

The flowchart and block diagrams in the Figures illustrate thearchitecture, functionality, and operation of possible implementationsof systems, methods, and computer program products according to variousembodiments of the present invention. In this regard, each block in theflowchart or block diagrams may represent a module, segment, or portionof instructions, which comprises one or more executable instructions forimplementing the specified logical function(s). In some alternativeimplementations, the functions noted in the block may occur out of theorder noted in the figures. For example, two blocks shown in successionmay, in fact, be executed substantially concurrently, or the blocks maysometimes be executed in the reverse order, depending upon thefunctionality involved. It will also be noted that each block of theblock diagrams and/or flowchart illustration, and combinations of blocksin the block diagrams and/or flowchart illustration, can be implementedby special purpose hardware-based systems that perform the specifiedfunctions or acts or carry out combinations of special purpose hardwareand computer instructions.

With reference now to the figures, and in particular to FIG. 1, there isdepicted a block diagram of an exemplary system and network that may beutilized by and/or in the implementation of the present invention. Someor all of the exemplary architecture, including both depicted hardwareand software, shown for and within computer 101 may be utilized by droneon-board computer 123 and/or positioning system 151 and/or primarycontroller 155 shown in FIG. 1, and/or drone on-board computer 223 shownin FIG. 2, and/or drone on-board computer 323 shown in FIG. 3, and/ordrone controller device 401 and/or primary controller 455 shown in FIG.4.

Exemplary computer 101 includes a processor 103 that is coupled to asystem bus 105. Processor 103 may utilize one or more processors, eachof which has one or more processor cores. A video adapter 107, whichdrives/supports a display 109, is also coupled to system bus 105. Systembus 105 is coupled via a bus bridge 111 to an input/output (I/O) bus113. An I/O interface 115 is coupled to I/O bus 113. I/O interface 115affords communication with various I/O devices, including a keyboard117, a camera 119 (i.e., a digital camera capable of capturing still andmoving images), a media tray 121 (which may include storage devices suchas CD-ROM drives, multi-media interfaces, etc.), and external USBport(s) 125. While the format of the ports connected to I/O interface115 may be any known to those skilled in the art of computerarchitecture, in one embodiment some or all of these ports are universalserial bus (USB) ports.

Also coupled to I/O interface 115 is a positioning system 151, whichdetermines a position of computer 101 and/or other devices usingpositioning sensors 153. Positioning sensors 153 may be any type ofsensors that are able to determine a position of a device, includingcomputer 101, an aerial drone 200 shown in FIG. 2, etc. Positioningsensors 153 may utilize, without limitation, satellite based positioningdevices (e.g., global positioning system—GPS based devices),accelerometers (to measure change in movement), barometers (to measurechanges in altitude), etc.

As depicted, computer 101 is able to communicate with a softwaredeploying server 149 and/or other devices/systems (e.g., drone on-boardcomputer 123 and/or a software deploying server 149 and/or a primarycontroller 155) using a network interface 129. Network interface 129 isa hardware network interface, such as a network interface card (NIC),etc. Network 127 may be an external network such as the Internet, or aninternal network such as an Ethernet or a virtual private network (VPN).In one or more embodiments, network 127 is a wireless network, such as aWi-Fi network, a cellular network, etc.

A hard drive interface 131 is also coupled to system bus 105. Hard driveinterface 131 interfaces with a hard drive 133. In one embodiment, harddrive 133 populates a system memory 135, which is also coupled to systembus 105. System memory is defined as a lowest level of volatile memoryin computer 101. This volatile memory includes additional higher levelsof volatile memory (not shown), including, but not limited to, cachememory, registers and buffers. Data that populates system memory 135includes computer 101's operating system (OS) 137 and applicationprograms 143.

OS 137 includes a shell 139, for providing transparent user access toresources such as application programs 143. Generally, shell 139 is aprogram that provides an interpreter and an interface between the userand the operating system. More specifically, shell 139 executes commandsthat are entered into a command line user interface or from a file.Thus, shell 139, also called a command processor, is generally thehighest level of the operating system software hierarchy and serves as acommand interpreter. The shell provides a system prompt, interpretscommands entered by keyboard, mouse, or other user input media, andsends the interpreted command(s) to the appropriate lower levels of theoperating system (e.g., a kernel 141) for processing. While shell 139 isa text-based, line-oriented user interface, the present invention willequally well support other user interface modes, such as graphical,voice, gestural, etc.

As depicted, OS 137 also includes kernel 141, which includes lowerlevels of functionality for OS 137, including providing essentialservices required by other parts of OS 137 and application programs 143,including memory management, process and task management, diskmanagement, and mouse and keyboard management.

Application programs 143 include a renderer, shown in exemplary manneras a browser 145. Browser 145 includes program modules and instructionsenabling a world wide web (WWW) client (i.e., computer 101) to send andreceive network messages to the Internet using hypertext transferprotocol (HTTP) messaging, thus enabling communication with softwaredeploying server 149 and other systems.

Application programs 143 in computer 101's system memory also includeLogic for Managing Drone Operations (LMDO) 147. LMDO 147 includes codefor implementing the processes described below, including thosedescribed in FIGS. 2-5. In one embodiment, computer 101 is able todownload LMDO 147 from software deploying server 149, including in anon-demand basis. In one embodiment, software deploying server 149 isable to execute one or more instructions from LMDO 147 and provide theresults to computer 101, thus relieving computer 101 from the need toutilize its internal processing power.

A primary controller 155 is able to communicate with computer 101 vianetwork 127. Primary controller 155 is a wireless controller thatcontrols an aerial drone (e.g., aerial drone 200 shown in FIG. 2) eitherautonomously or under the instructions/input entered by a user of theprimary controller 155.

The hardware elements depicted in computer 101 are not intended to beexhaustive, but rather are representative to highlight essentialcomponents required by the present invention. For instance, computer 101may include alternate memory storage devices such as magnetic cassettes,digital versatile disks (DVDs), Bernoulli cartridges, and the like.These and other variations are intended to be within the spirit andscope of the present invention.

FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary aerial drone 200 in accordance with oneor more embodiments of the present invention. The terms “aerial drone”,“drone”, and “unmanned aerial vehicle” (“UAV”) are used interchangeablyherein to identify and describe an airborne vehicle that is capable ofpilot-less flight.

As shown in FIG. 2, aerial drone 200 includes a body 202, which isattached to supports such as support 204. Supports such as support 204support stanchions such as stanchion 206. Such stanchions provide ahousing for a driveshaft within each of the stanchions, such as thedepicted driveshaft 208 within stanchion 206. These driveshafts areconnected to propellers. For example, driveshaft 208 within stanchion206 is connected to propeller 210.

A power transfer mechanism 212 (e.g., a chain, a primary driveshaft,etc.) transfers power from a geared transmission 214 to the driveshaftswithin the stanchions (e.g., from geared transmission 214 to thedriveshaft 208 inside stanchion 206), such that propeller 210 is turned,thus providing lift and steering to the aerial drone 200. Gearedtransmission 214 preferably contains a plurality of gears, such that agear ratio inside geared transmission 214 can be selectively changed.

Power to the geared transmission 214 is selectively provided by anelectric motor 216 (which is supplied with electrical power by a battery218) or an internal combustion engine 220, which burns fuel from a fueltank (not shown). In one or more embodiments of the present invention,the internal combustion engine 220 has greater power than the electricmotor 216, since internal combustion engines are able to produce greatertorque/power and have a greater range (can fly farther) than electricmotors of the same size/weight.

Affixed to the bottom of body 202 is a camera support 222 that holds acamera 226. A camera controller 224 is able to aim, focus, etc. camera226 under the control of the drone on-board computer 223.

With reference now to FIG. 3, exemplary control hardware within theaerial drone 200 presented in FIG. 2 is depicted.

A drone on-board computer 323 (analogous to drone on-board computer 223shown in FIG. 2) controls a drone mechanisms controller 301, which is acomputing device that controls a set of drone physical controlmechanisms 303. The set of drone physical control mechanisms 303includes, but is not limited to, throttles for internal combustionengine 220 and/or electric motor 216, selectors for selecting gearratios within the geared transmission 214, controls for adjusting thepitch, roll, and angle of attack of propellers such as propeller 210 andother controls used to control the operation and movement of the aerialdrone 200 depicted in FIG. 2.

Whether in autonomous mode or remotely-piloted mode, the drone on-boardcomputer 323 controls the operation of aerial drone 200. This controlincludes the use of outputs from navigation and control sensors 305 tocontrol the aerial drone 200. Navigation and control sensors 305 includehardware sensors that (1) determine the location of the aerial drone200; (2) sense other aerial drones and/or obstacles and/or physicalstructures around aerial drone 200; (3) measure the speed and directionof the aerial drone 200; and (4) provide any other inputs needed tosafely control the movement of the aerial drone 200.

With respect to the feature of (1) determining the location of theaerial drone 200, this is achieved in one or more embodiments of thepresent invention through the use of a positioning system such aspositioning system 151 (shown in FIG. 1), which may be part of the droneon-board computer 323, combined with positioning sensor 353. Positioningsystem 151 may use a global positioning system (GPS), which usesspace-based satellites that provide positioning signals that aretriangulated by a GPS receiver to determine a 3-D geophysical positionof the aerial drone 200. Positioning system 151 may also use, eitheralone or in conjunction with a GPS system, physical movement sensorssuch as accelerometers (which measure changes in direction and/or speedby an aerial drone in any direction in any of three dimensions),speedometers (which measure the instantaneous speed of an aerial drone),air-flow meters (which measure the flow of air around an aerial drone),barometers (which measure altitude changes by the aerial drone), etc.Such physical movement sensors may incorporate the use of semiconductorstrain gauges, electromechanical gauges that take readings fromdrivetrain rotations, barometric sensors, etc.

With respect to the feature of (2) sensing other aerial drones and/orobstacles and/or physical structures around aerial drone 200, the droneon-board computer 323 may utilize radar or other electromagnetic energythat is emitted from an electromagnetic radiation transmitter (e.g.,transceiver 307 shown in FIG. 3), bounced off a physical structure(e.g., a building, bridge, or another aerial drone), and then receivedby an electromagnetic radiation receiver (e.g., transceiver 307). Bymeasuring the time it takes to receive back the emitted electromagneticradiation, and/or evaluating a Doppler shift (i.e., a change infrequency to the electromagnetic radiation that is caused by therelative movement of the aerial drone 200 to objects being interrogatedby the electromagnetic radiation) in the received electromagneticradiation from when it was transmitted, the presence and location ofother physical objects can be ascertained by the drone on-board computer323.

With respect to the feature of (3) measuring the speed and direction ofthe aerial drone 200, this is accomplished in one or more embodiments ofthe present invention by taking readings from an on-board airspeedindicator (not depicted) on the aerial drone 200 and/or detectingmovements to the control mechanisms (depicted in FIG. 2) on the aerialdrone 200 and/or the positioning system 151 discussed above.

With respect to the feature of (4) providing any other inputs needed tosafely control the movement of the aerial drone 200, such inputsinclude, but are not limited to, control signals to direct the aerialdrone 200 to make an emergency landing, etc.

Also on aerial drone 200 in one or more embodiments of the presentinvention is a camera 326, which is capable of sending still or movingvisible light digital photographic images (and/or infrared light digitalphotographic images) to the drone on-board computer 323. These imagescan be used to determine the location of the aerial drone 200 (e.g., bymatching to known landmarks), to sense other drones/obstacles, and/or todetermine speed (by tracking changes to images passing by) of the aerialdrone.

Also on aerial drone 200 in one or more embodiments of the presentinvention are sensors 315. Examples of sensors 315 include, but are notlimited to, air pressure gauges, microphones, barometers, chemicalsensors, vibration sensors, etc., which detect a real-time operationalcondition of aerial drone 200 and/or an environment around aerial drone200. Another example of a sensor from sensors 315 is a light sensor,which is able to detect light from other drones, street lights, homelights, etc., in order to ascertain the environment in which the aerialdrone 200 is operating.

Also on aerial drone 200 in one or more embodiments of the presentinvention are lights 309. Lights 309 are activated by drone on-boardcomputer 323 to provide visual warnings, alerts, etc. as describedherein.

Also on aerial drone 200 in one or more embodiments of the presentinvention is a speaker 311. Speaker 311 is used by drone on-boardcomputer 323 to provide aural warnings, alerts, etc.

Also on aerial drone 200 in one or more embodiments of the presentinvention is a microphone 317. In an embodiment, microphone 317 is anomnidirectional sensor that measures ambient noise (e.g., sound producedby the aerial drone 200). In the same or another embodiment, microphone317 is a directional microphone (e.g., that captures sounds at somedistance away from the aerial drone 200).

Described herein in one or more embodiments is a system and method toestablish a communicative coupling between a drone and a drone-exclusionzone system so as to authenticate the drone'sability/permission/authorization/authentication required to access anexclusion zone and to take an action based on the drone piercing aboundary in space (e.g. charging a fee, offering a reward, etc.).Authentication may be based on a key, a drone identifier, context, apayment, or an analysis of the drone in accordance with the exclusionzone. This functions, in part, as a “drone firewall”.

Drone exclusion zones are zones in which the flight of aerial drones areprohibited and/or restricted. For example, places such as airports,military establishments, and outdoor stadiums may restrict the flight ofdrones within their airspace (i.e., a predefined space surrounding thevenue) to only preauthorized drones (e.g., network television cameradrones, security drones, etc.). However, in other scenarios, it isbeneficial to allow a more nuanced approach (e.g., where a given droneis transporting perishable medication and where avoiding a givenexclusion zone would result in the medication becoming useless).Furthermore, a public celebrity may allow (or even desire) media dronesto fly onto an estate for a social event, for a period of time, for afee.

Thus, the present invention presents a method and system that includesdevices for detecting the presence of a drone that pierces a boundary inspace, and based on this detection, the system triggers operations in adrone controller device. The drone controller device then takes a droneaccess action (e.g. charges a fee), thus creating a dynamic “dronefirewall.”

In various embodiments of the present invention, triggering of the dronecontroller device operations employs the use of a key (e.g., a privateauthorization signal sent from the drone to the drone controllerdevice), a drone identifier (e.g., a unique identification signal sentfrom the drone to the drone controller device), or an analysis of thedrone (e.g., by capturing a visual image of the drone to determine thecharacteristics of the drone). When analyzing the drone, a determinationis made regarding the drone size, type, speed, sound, direction offlight, receiver frequency, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)registration number and information, etc.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the drone access action mayinclude any of: a charging of a fee, a logging of the key or uniqueidentifier of the drone into a database, a rewarding action (e.g. anoffer of a prize since someone may actually want to be filmed or have anevent filmed, including an emergency operation), a changing of access torestricted functions (filming with low resolution or audio only),disabling/removing the drone, etc.

In an embodiment of the present invention in which the airspace in whichthe drone will be flying is fixed, the boundary of such airspace isrelated to the boundary of a property, yard, region of a building orwindow, playing area, party area, play area, concert area, etc.(horizontal space) and includes the altitude above the ground (verticalspace).

In an embodiment of the present invention in which the airspace in whichthe drone will be flying is moving (e.g., following a car, a walkingperson, or other moving entity), the boundary of such airspace isrelated to a moving boundary around the moving entity (horizontal space)and altitude above the moving entity (vertical space). For example,assume that the security of a certain passenger of a vehicle is deemedimportant, if not critical (e.g., the passenger is a head of state). Assuch, the safety zone (horizontal and vertical) of the airspace aroundthe moving vehicle moves along with the vehicle, such that drones areprohibited from (or limited in) entry into this safety zone, whichchanges as the vehicle is traveling. Similarly, if the vehicle iscarrying dangerous or highly valuable cargo, a safety zone for theairspace around the vehicle moves along with the vehicle.

Thus and with reference to FIG. 4, consider an aerial drone 400(analogous to aerial drone 200 shown in FIG. 2) that is being monitoredand/or partially controlled by a drone controller device 401 (analogousto computer 101 shown in FIG. 1). That is, although aerial drone 400 iscapable of being autonomously flown or under the direction of a primarycontroller 455, drone controller device 401 is a secondary controllerdevice that is able to adjust the operations of the aerial drone 400according to certain operational parameters. More specifically, dronecontroller device 401 is able to control how aerial drone 400 operateswithin a fixed airspace 402 around a fixed entity 404 (e.g., a house) orwithin a changing airspace 406 around a moving mobile entity 408.

For example and in accordance with one or more embodiments of thepresent invention, a property owner (e.g., of the fixed entity 404) mayallow a drone operator to pilot aerial drone 400 into the fixed airspace402 of the property, but for a contractual consideration, such as amonetary payment, providing information such as email address, etc. Thefee/consideration may change based on the distance from one or morespecified targets (e.g. points in a 3D space). That is, if the droneoperator wants to approach and/or film a first object on the property(e.g., a public pool), the property owner may only require that thedrone operator identify himself/herself. However, if the drone operatorwants to approach and film a second object on the property (e.g., aprivate residence), the property owner may require that the drone beoperated in a certain mode (e.g., a “quiet” mode using the electricmotor 216 shown in FIG. 2) and that the drone operator pay a monetaryfee.

As shown in FIG. 4, the controlled airspace may be in a moving zone,such as the changing airspace 406 that changes as a moving mobile entity408 moves. The exclusion zone (i.e., changing airspace 406) may includea radius R from a moving car (moving mobile entity 408) with a publicfigure inside the car, such that the exclusion zone moves with the car.

In an embodiment of the present invention the system, once the dronepierces the boundary (e.g. boundary of a property or area surrounding amoving entity), the drone controller device 401 shown in FIG. 4 controlsthe drone as if the drone were in a viscous fluid, so as to slow it downas it enters the airspace. The viscosity coefficient may change based onnumerous criteria, such as the size of the drone, the amount of the“entrance fee” that has been paid to enter the airspace, the amount ofsound being emitted from the drone, etc.

The force of viscosity on a small sphere moving through a viscous fluidis given by:F_(d)=6πμR Vwhere F_(d) is the frictional force (known as Stokes' drag) acting onthe interface between the fluid and the particle, μ is the dynamicviscosity, R is the radius of the spherical object, and V is the flowvelocity relative to the object. A user of the drone may therefore pay afee or agree to alter the operations of the drone in order to reduce theviscosity coefficient.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the drone barrier preventsthe drone from entering the restricted airspace until the dronecontroller device 401 and the aerial drone 400 negotiate an agreement(e.g., the entrance fee, the characteristics of the drone while flyingwithin the restricted airspace, etc.). In another embodiment, if theaerial drone 400 nonetheless enters the restricted airspace, alternativesteps may be activated. Examples of such steps to be activated includebut are not limited to the drone controller device 400 1) issuing analert to and/or taking control of (via the drone's on-board computer323) the aerial drone to cause the aerial drone 400 to remain outside ofthe restricted airspace; 2) sending an owner of the aerial drone awarning or levying a fine against the aerial drone for entering therestricted airspace; 3) photographing the aerial drone (e.g., from acamera on another authorized aerial drone within the restrictedairspace) for forensic evidence if an untoward event may occur withinthe restricted airspace; etc.

In an embodiment of the present invention, a graphical user interface onthe primary controller 455 (being used by the operator of the aerialdrone 400) sketches a 2-D or 3-D virtual boundary on a map (displayed onthe primary controller 455) that represents the zone of exclusion orcontrol for the flight of the aerial drone 400. That is, a display onthe primary controller 455 will show 1) the present position of theaerial drone, and 2) the restricted airspace (e.g., fixed airspace 402and/or changing airspace 406). This display may be an image (e.g.,photographic display) of the area or a map (e.g., a cartographicaldrawing) of the area. In an embodiment of the present invention, therestricted airspace zone is established in an automated manner usingsensors and transmitters around the property. That is, transmittersaround the perimeter of the restricted airspace transmit signals thatdefine the perimeter of the property/airspace, which are received by theaerial drone 400 in order to direct the aerial drone 400 to stay out ofthe restricted airspace unless/until authorized.

Thus, in one embodiment the primary controller 455 and/or dronecontroller device 401, which are in communication with the aerial drone400, provide a map of the environment, receive target world coordinatesfor the aerial drone 400 within the environment, determine a desiredvelocity vector to direct the aerial drone 400 to the target worldcoordinates at a speed proportional to the distance between the aerialdrone 400 and the target world coordinates (e.g., the location of fixedentity 404 or moving mobile entity 408), and direct the aerial drone 400along the desired velocity vector until the aerial drone 400 reaches thetarget world coordinates. When the drone reaches a certain target, apayment or reward may be instituted.

In various embodiments of the present invention, the restricted airspaceis defined by hardware devices. For example, fixed transmitters around aperimeter of the restricted airspace may send out signals defining thephysical boundary of the restricted airspace. Thus, any aerial dronecapable of sensing these limited-range signals will “know” that it isentering restricted airspace. Similarly, such boundary transmitters cansend out global positioning system (GPS) coordinates that identify theboundary of the restricted airspace, which are received by the aerialdrone. An approaching aerial drone that is GPS-enabled will comparethese boundary GPS coordinates with current real-time GPS coordinates(that identify the current location of the aerial drone) in order todetermine whether or not the aerial drone is within the restrictedairspace. In an alternative embodiment, the aerial drone ispre-programmed with a list/range of GPS coordinates that have beenpredetermined to be within restricted airspace. Thus, when an on-boardGPS sensor (e.g., one of the positioning sensors 153 shown in FIG. 1when incorporated into the on-board equipment of aerial drone 200 shownin FIG. 2) determines that the aerial drone is approaching or is withinthe restricted airspace, the drone on-board computer 323 will takecorrective actions (e.g., steer the aerial drone out of or away from therestricted airspace, negotiate permission to enter the restrictedairspace, etc.).

In an embodiment of the present invention, the aerial drone 400 has amemory (e.g., system memory 135 and/or hard drive 133 shown in FIG. 1)that is loaded with geolocation data corresponding to restrictedairspace boundaries as well as the capability to autonomously assess afee, provide a reward, or reroute the aerial drone 400 outside of therestricted airspace boundaries (or inside the airspace) as the aerialdrone 400 approaches to within a predetermined distance of therestricted airspace. That is, the drone on-board computer 323 shown inFIG. 3 is able to not only know where aerial drone 400 is and where therestricted airspace is in relation to the aerial drone 400, but is alsocapable of autonomously negotiating permission to enter the restrictedairspace by altering the operation of the aerial drone 400 (e.g.,switching from use of the noisy internal combustion engine 220 to thequiet electric motor 216 shown in FIG. 2) in order to receive permissionto enter the restricted airspace.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the aerial drone 400 has aback-door capability such that an exclusion zone administrator (e.g., anoperator of the drone control device 401) has privileges to access aback-door capability to direct the aerial drone 400 away from theexclusion zone or define its route, based on the permission levels ofthe aerial drone 400.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the aerial drone 400 (morespecifically the drone on-board computer 323 shown in FIG. 3) ispre-programmed with a flight plan that excludes flying throughrestricted airspace. That is, the aerial drone 400 can be pre-programmedto fly autonomously around, above, or below the restricted airspace,particularly at times in which the airspace is restricted. That is, someairspace is restricted at certain times (e.g., when a certain person orunit of equipment is within that area) and is unrestricted at othertimes (e.g., when the certain person or unit of equipment has left thearea). Thus, the restricted airspace can be not only defined bygeophysical locations, but also temporal (time) periods.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the drone controller device401 monitors operations of the aerial drone 400 and identifies anyanomalous behaviors (such as the drone entering the exclusion zone andstaying there for a longer duration than permitted).

While the moving mobile entity 408 is depicted in FIG. 4 as a land-based(terrestrial) automobile, alternatively moving mobile entity 408 may bea boat (water-based), an airplane (e.g., a piloted aircraft), or anotherdrone. Thus, the changing airspace 406 dynamically changes in accordancewith the movement of the moving mobile entity 408.

With reference now to FIG. 5, a high-level flow chart of one or moresteps performed by one or more computing and/or other hardware devicesto control movement of an aerial drone within a predetermined airspacein accordance with one or more embodiments of the present invention ispresented.

After initiator block 501, a drone controller device (e.g., dronecontroller device 401 shown in FIG. 4) detects a presence (e.g., withina predetermined location) of an aerial drone (e.g., aerial drone 400shown in FIG. 4), as described in block 503. For example, the dronecontroller device 401 may detect that the aerial drone 400 isapproaching the restricted fixed airspace 402 shown in FIG. 4.

As described in block 505, the drone controller device and the aerialdrone negotiate permission to fly within a predetermined airspace undera predefined aerial drone state.

For example, the predetermined airspace may be the restricted fixedairspace 402 and/or the restricted changing airspace 406 (e.g., apredetermined range of changing airspace around the moving mobile entity408) shown in FIG. 4.

The predefined aerial drone state may be based on a financial agreementor an operational state of the aerial drone. That is, the permission toenter the restricted airspace may be based on a predefined financialagreement with an entity associated with the aerial drone. That is, ifthe owner and/or operator of the aerial drone agrees to pay a certainfee, then the drone controller device 401 sends a signal to the droneon-board computer 323 enabling the aerial drone 200 to enter therestricted airspace. In one embodiment, this permission is negotiated bysending a signal to a remuneration control system (e.g., computer 101shown in FIG. 1) in order to enable a predefined financial agreementwith an entity associated with the aerial drone. That is, the aerialdrone 400 and/or drone controller device 401 contact computer 101 toenact the financial agreement. Computer 101 then sends an authorizationsignal to the aerial drone 400 and/or drone controller device 401 todirect/control/enable the aerial drone 400 to fly within the restrictedairspace.

In an embodiment of the present invention, negotiation of the permissionis based on an agreement that the aerial drone will perform a specifiedaerial maneuver for an entity associated with the predeterminedairspace. For example, an owner of the property below the restrictedfixed airspace 402 may agree to let the aerial drone 400 enter the fixedairspace 402 only if the aerial drone 400 is instructed to perform aspecified aerial maneuver, such as sending a photograph of fixed entity404 to the owner of the property, performing aerobatic “tricks” with theaerial drone 400 for the amusement of guests of the owner of theproperty, broadcasting aural warnings from speaker 311 (see FIG. 3) toscare away predators, etc.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the negotiated permission isbased on characteristics of the aerial drone.

For example, assume that the aerial drone 400 is photographed by thedrone controller device 401, which determines that the aerial drone 400has a width (e.g., rotor wingspan) of 4 feet. If this is larger thanwhat the property owner is comfortable with, then an additional fee maybe charged, operational characteristics of the drone may be altered,etc.

Thus, in this or another embodiment, the permission to enter therestricted airspace is based on a noise level generated by the aerialdrone. That is, assume that microphone 317 in FIG. 3 detects a noiselevel of 110 dB being emitted by the aerial drone 200 when using theinternal combustion engine 220 shown in FIG. 2 as the propulsion powersource for the aerial drone 200. The drone controller device 401 may 1)prevent the aerial drone 400 from entering the restricted airspace or 2)charge a higher fee for the aerial drone 400 to enter the restrictedairspace unless the drone on-board computer 223 shuts down the internalcombustion engine 220 and uses the electric motor 216 (which has beenpredetermined to generate less than a predefined noise level, such as 80dB).

In an embodiment of the present invention, the permission to enter therestricted airspace is based on an amount of light being emitted by theaerial drone. For example, assume that lights 309 shown in FIG. 3 inaerial drone 200 are spotlights. The owner of the restricted airspacemay be willing to allow the aerial drone 400 shown in FIG. 4 to flywithin the restricted fixed airspace 402 or restricted changing airspace406, with or without charging a fee, but only if the lights 309 areturned down (or even off) to a level that is acceptable to the owner ofthe restricted airspace (thus not distracting the operator of the movingmobile entity 408, annoying inhabitants of the fixed entity 404, etc.).Alternatively, the owner of the restricted airspace may be willing toallow the aerial drone 400 shown in FIG. 4 to fly within the restrictedfixed airspace or restricted changing airspace 406, with or withoutcharging a fee, but only if the lights 309 are turned up to a high levelthat illuminates the property/vehicle and/or visually identifies thepresence of the aerial drone 400.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the permission to enter therestricted airspace is based on a speed of the aerial drone. That is, ifthe aerial drone is traveling at (or alternatively simply has thecapability of traveling at) a high speed (e.g., more than 30 miles perhour), then this may pose a safety threat that is worrisome to the ownerof the property/vehicle to be overflown by the aerial drone 400. Assuch, the drone controller device 401 will enable the drone on-boardcomputer 323 to fly the aerial drone 400 into the restricted airspaceonly if 1) the speed of the aerial drone 400 is reduced (e.g., below 10miles per hour) or 2) a higher fee to enter the restricted airspace ispaid (e.g., to a third party financial payment—not shown).

Alternatively, the owner of the property may want the aerial drone to beoverhead for as short a time as possible (e.g., less than 15 seconds).Thus, if the aerial drone is traveling slowly (e.g., less than 2 milesper hour), then it will be overhead for a long time (e.g., more than 10minutes). As such, the drone controller device 401 will enable the droneon-board computer 323 to fly the aerial drone 400 into the restrictedairspace only if 1) the speed of the aerial drone 400 is increased(e.g., above 30 miles per hour) or 2) a higher fee to enter therestricted airspace is paid in order to fly at the slower speed.

In one or more embodiments, these negotiations to obtain permission tofly within the predetermined airspace are performed before the aerialdrone enters the predetermined airspace.

Returning to FIG. 5, a query (query block 507) is made as to whether thedrone controller device 401 and the aerial drone 400 have beensuccessful in negotiating permission for the aerial drone 400 to enterthe restricted airspace.

If not (block 509), then the drone controller device 401 sends a controlsignal to the drone on-board computer 323 (shown in FIG. 3) to fly theaerial drone around the restricted airspace, and the process ends(terminator block 513).

However, if the negotiation is successful (block 511), then the dronecontroller device 401 enables (e.g., directs) the drone on-boardcomputer 323 to operate the aerial drone within the predeterminedairspace in accordance with the predefined aerial drone state (e.g.,using the electric motor, turning drone lights on/off, flying at acertain speed, receiving a fee payment, etc.).

In an embodiment of the present invention, the aerial drone 400 and/orthe primary controller 455 send a message to the drone controller device401 identifying a planned destination (e.g., a house such as fixedentity 404) of the aerial drone 400. The drone controller 401 will thensend (assuming that the aerial drone has permission to enter therestricted fixed airspace 402) the aerial drone 400 directions to theplanned destination.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the aerial drone 400 may beauthorized to enter restricted airspace but to only use certain on-boardequipment. For example, assume that aerial drone 400 is equipped withboth the camera 326 and the sensors 315 shown in FIG. 3. Assume furtherthat the sensors 315 are only chemical sensors, and that theowner/occupier of the restricted airspace has no problem with the aerialdrone 400 taking chemical sensor readings, but does not want the aerialdrone 400 to be photographing objects on the land or otherwiseassociated with the restricted airspace. As such, the drone controllerdevice 401 can send a signal to the drone on-board computer 323 in theaerial drone 400 that 1) enables the sensors 315 and disables the camera326 while the aerial drone 400 is within the restricted airspace (e.g.,fixed airspace 402).

The present invention may be implemented in one or more embodimentsusing cloud computing. Nonetheless, it is understood in advance thatalthough this disclosure includes a detailed description on cloudcomputing, implementation of the teachings recited herein are notlimited to a cloud computing environment. Rather, embodiments of thepresent invention are capable of being implemented in conjunction withany other type of computing environment now known or later developed.

Cloud computing is a model of service delivery for enabling convenient,on-demand network access to a shared pool of configurable computingresources (e.g. networks, network bandwidth, servers, processing,memory, storage, applications, virtual machines, and services) that canbe rapidly provisioned and released with minimal management effort orinteraction with a provider of the service. This cloud model may includeat least five characteristics, at least three service models, and atleast four deployment models.

Characteristics are as Follows:

On-demand self-service: a cloud consumer can unilaterally provisioncomputing capabilities, such as server time and network storage, asneeded automatically without requiring human interaction with theservice's provider.

Broad network access: capabilities are available over a network andaccessed through standard mechanisms that promote use by heterogeneousthin or thick client platforms (e.g., mobile phones, laptops, and PDAs).

Resource pooling: the provider's computing resources are pooled to servemultiple consumers using a multi-tenant model, with different physicaland virtual resources dynamically assigned and reassigned according todemand. There is a sense of location independence in that the consumergenerally has no control or knowledge over the exact location of theprovided resources but may be able to specify location at a higher levelof abstraction (e.g., country, state, or datacenter).

Rapid elasticity: capabilities can be rapidly and elasticallyprovisioned, in some cases automatically, to quickly scale out andrapidly released to quickly scale in. To the consumer, the capabilitiesavailable for provisioning often appear to be unlimited and can bepurchased in any quantity at any time.

Measured service: cloud systems automatically control and optimizeresource use by leveraging a metering capability at some level ofabstraction appropriate to the type of service (e.g., storage,processing, bandwidth, and active user accounts). Resource usage can bemonitored, controlled, and reported providing transparency for both theprovider and consumer of the utilized service.

Software as a Service (SaaS): the capability provided to the consumer isto use the provider's applications running on a cloud infrastructure.The applications are accessible from various client devices through athin client interface such as a web browser (e.g., web-based e-mail).The consumer does not manage or control the underlying cloudinfrastructure including network, servers, operating systems, storage,or even individual application capabilities, with the possible exceptionof limited user-specific application configuration settings.

Platform as a Service (PaaS): the capability provided to the consumer isto deploy onto the cloud infrastructure consumer-created or acquiredapplications created using programming languages and tools supported bythe provider. The consumer does not manage or control the underlyingcloud infrastructure including networks, servers, operating systems, orstorage, but has control over the deployed applications and possiblyapplication hosting environment configurations.

Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS): the capability provided to theconsumer is to provision processing, storage, networks, and otherfundamental computing resources where the consumer is able to deploy andrun arbitrary software, which can include operating systems andapplications. The consumer does not manage or control the underlyingcloud infrastructure but has control over operating systems, storage,deployed applications, and possibly limited control of select networkingcomponents (e.g., host firewalls).

Deployment Models are as Follows:

Private cloud: the cloud infrastructure is operated solely for anorganization. It may be managed by the organization or a third party andmay exist on-premises or off-premises.

Community cloud: the cloud infrastructure is shared by severalorganizations and supports a specific community that has shared concerns(e.g., mission, security requirements, policy, and complianceconsiderations). It may be managed by the organizations or a third partyand may exist on-premises or off-premises.

Public cloud: the cloud infrastructure is made available to the generalpublic or a large industry group and is owned by an organization sellingcloud services.

Hybrid cloud: the cloud infrastructure is a composition of two or moreclouds (private, community, or public) that remain unique entities butare bound together by standardized or proprietary technology thatenables data and application portability (e.g., cloud bursting forload-balancing between clouds).

A cloud computing environment is service oriented with a focus onstatelessness, low coupling, modularity, and semantic interoperability.At the heart of cloud computing is an infrastructure comprising anetwork of interconnected nodes.

Referring now to FIG. 6, illustrative cloud computing environment 50 isdepicted. As shown, cloud computing environment 50 comprises one or morecloud computing nodes 10 with which local computing devices used bycloud consumers, such as, for example, personal digital assistant (PDA)or cellular telephone 54A, desktop computer 54B, laptop computer 54C,and/or automobile computer system 54N may communicate. Nodes 10 maycommunicate with one another. They may be grouped (not shown) physicallyor virtually, in one or more networks, such as Private, Community,Public, or Hybrid clouds as described hereinabove, or a combinationthereof. This allows cloud computing environment 50 to offerinfrastructure, platforms and/or software as services for which a cloudconsumer does not need to maintain resources on a local computingdevice. It is understood that the types of computing devices 54A-54Nshown in FIG. 6 are intended to be illustrative only and that computingnodes 10 and cloud computing environment 50 can communicate with anytype of computerized device over any type of network and/or networkaddressable connection (e.g., using a web browser).

Referring now to FIG. 7, a set of functional abstraction layers providedby cloud computing environment 50 (FIG. 6) is shown. It should beunderstood in advance that the components, layers, and functions shownin FIG. 7 are intended to be illustrative only and embodiments of theinvention are not limited thereto. As depicted, the following layers andcorresponding functions are provided:

Hardware and software layer 60 includes hardware and softwarecomponents. Examples of hardware components include: mainframes 61; RISC(Reduced Instruction Set Computer) architecture based servers 62;servers 63; blade servers 64; storage devices 65; and networks andnetworking components 66. In some embodiments, software componentsinclude network application server software 67 and database software 68.

Virtualization layer 70 provides an abstraction layer from which thefollowing examples of virtual entities may be provided: virtual servers71; virtual storage 72; virtual networks 73, including virtual privatenetworks; virtual applications and operating systems 74; and virtualclients 75.

In one example, management layer 80 may provide the functions describedbelow. Resource provisioning 81 provides dynamic procurement ofcomputing resources and other resources that are utilized to performtasks within the cloud computing environment. Metering and Pricing 82provide cost tracking as resources are utilized within the cloudcomputing environment, and billing or invoicing for consumption of theseresources. In one example, these resources may comprise applicationsoftware licenses. Security provides identity verification for cloudconsumers and tasks, as well as protection for data and other resources.User portal 83 provides access to the cloud computing environment forconsumers and system administrators. Service level management 84provides cloud computing resource allocation and management such thatrequired service levels are met. Service Level Agreement (SLA) planningand fulfillment 85 provide pre-arrangement for, and procurement of,cloud computing resources for which a future requirement is anticipatedin accordance with an SLA.

Workloads layer 90 provides examples of functionality for which thecloud computing environment may be utilized. Examples of workloads andfunctions which may be provided from this layer include: mapping andnavigation 91; software development and lifecycle management 92; virtualclassroom education delivery 93; data analytics processing 94;transaction processing 95; and drone control processing 96.

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particularembodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the presentinvention. As used herein, the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” areintended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearlyindicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms“comprises” and/or “comprising,” when used in this specification,specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations,elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence oraddition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations,elements, components, and/or groups thereof.

The corresponding structures, materials, acts, and equivalents of allmeans or step plus function elements in the claims below are intended toinclude any structure, material, or act for performing the function incombination with other claimed elements as specifically claimed. Thedescription of various embodiments of the present invention has beenpresented for purposes of illustration and description, but is notintended to be exhaustive or limited to the present invention in theform disclosed. Many modifications and variations will be apparent tothose of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope andspirit of the present invention. The embodiment was chosen and describedin order to best explain the principles of the present invention and thepractical application, and to enable others of ordinary skill in the artto understand the present invention for various embodiments with variousmodifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated.

Any methods described in the present disclosure may be implementedthrough the use of a VHDL (VHSIC Hardware Description Language) programand a VHDL chip. VHDL is an exemplary design-entry language for FieldProgrammable Gate Arrays (FPGAs), Application Specific IntegratedCircuits (ASICs), and other similar electronic devices. Thus, anysoftware-implemented method described herein may be emulated by ahardware-based VHDL program, which is then applied to a VHDL chip, suchas a FPGA.

Having thus described embodiments of the present invention of thepresent application in detail and by reference to illustrativeembodiments thereof, it will be apparent that modifications andvariations are possible without departing from the scope of the presentinvention defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method comprising: detecting, by a dronecontroller device, a presence of an aerial drone; negotiating, betweenthe drone controller device and the aerial drone, permission to flywithin a predetermined airspace under a predefined aerial drone state,wherein the predefined aerial drone state is an operational state of theaerial drone; in response to successfully negotiating the permission,the drone controller device enabling a drone on-board computer tooperate the aerial drone within the predetermined airspace in accordancewith the predefined aerial drone state; determining that a light on theaerial drone is currently producing more than a predefined amount oflight; and in response to determining that the light on the aerial droneis currently producing more than a predefined amount of light, allowingthe aerial drone to continue to operate within the predeterminedairspace.
 2. The method of claim 1, further comprising: transmitting,from the aerial drone to the drone controller device, a privateauthorization signal that triggers the drone controller device enablingthe drone on-board computer to operate the aerial drone within thepredetermined airspace.
 3. The method of claim 1, wherein thepredetermined airspace is around a moving vehicle, and wherein themethod further comprises: determining, by the drone controller, that themoving vehicle is carrying a payload of dangerous cargo; and in responseto determining that the moving vehicle is carrying the payload ofdangerous cargo, maintaining a predetermined minimum distance betweenthe aerial drone and the moving vehicle.
 4. The method of claim 1,further comprising: detecting, by the drone controller device, that theaerial drone has entered the predetermined airspace; and in response todetecting that the aerial drone has entered the predetermined airspace,directing, by the drone controller device, the aerial drone todecelerate based on a physical size of the aerial drone.
 5. The methodof claim 1, further comprising: negotiating, by one or more processors,the permission based on an agreement that the aerial drone will performa specified aerobatic trick within the predetermined airspace.
 6. Themethod of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises: determining anoise level generated by the aerial drone is greater than apredetermined level due to the aerial drone being propelled by aninternal combustion engine; and in response to determining that thenoise level generated by the aerial drone is greater than thepredetermined level, shutting down the internal combustion engine andturning on an electric motor to propel the aerial drone.
 7. The methodof claim 1, further comprising: allowing the aerial drone to operatewith the predetermined airspace only if the aerial drone operates at aspeed that is greater than a predefined speed.
 8. The method of claim 1,further comprising: enabling a chemical sensor on the aerial drone whiledisabling a camera on the aerial drone while the aerial drone isoperating within the predetermined airspace.
 9. A method comprising:detecting, by a drone controller device, a presence of an aerial drone;negotiating, between the drone controller device and the aerial drone,permission to fly within a predetermined airspace under a predefinedaerial drone state, wherein the predefined aerial drone state is anoperational state of the aerial drone; in response to successfullynegotiating the permission, the drone controller device enabling a droneon-board computer to operate the aerial drone within the predeterminedairspace in accordance with the predefined aerial drone state; andenabling a chemical sensor on the aerial drone while disabling a cameraon the aerial drone while the aerial drone is operating within thepredetermined airspace.
 10. A computer system comprising one or moreprocessors, one or more computer readable memories, and one or morecomputer readable storage mediums, and program instructions stored on atleast one of the one or more computer readable storage mediums forexecution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least oneof the one or more computer readable memories, the stored programinstructions comprising: program instructions to detect a presence of anaerial drone; program instructions to negotiate permission to fly withina predetermined airspace under a predefined aerial drone state, whereinthe predefined aerial drone state is an operational state of the aerialdrone; program instructions to, in response to successfully negotiatingthe permission, enable a drone on-board computer to operate the aerialdrone within the predetermined airspace in accordance with thepredefined aerial drone state; and program instructions to enable achemical sensor on the aerial drone while disabling a camera on theaerial drone while the aerial drone is operating within thepredetermined airspace.
 11. The computer system of claim 10, furthercomprising: program instructions to detect a moving mobile entity; andprogram instructions to define the predetermined airspace as apredetermined range of changing airspace around the moving mobileentity.
 12. The computer system of claim 10, further comprising: programinstructions to negotiate the permission by sending a signal to aremuneration control system in order to enable a predefined financialagreement with an entity associated with the aerial drone.